HP 5 Toner
LaserJet 5 Toner Cartridges

HP 5 Printer Review

The HP LaserJet 5 is a monochrome laser printer designed for the small or medium office. It has excellent reliability and sturdy construction, but its slow speeds and limited paper capacity might turn some buyers away.

The LaserJet 5 is a printer built for the high-volume office environment. It has a monthly duty cycle of 35,100 pages, and it is solidly built, able to withstand heavy daily office use. The printer's dimensions are 11.8 inches by 17.4 inches by 16 inches, and it weighs 37 pounds. While it is not exactly bulky, it does tend to be larger than most dedicated laser printers like the smaller HP 1020 toner printer. Considering you can get multifunction printers at a similar size, users with limited space may opt for a smaller printer.

Paper capacity is one area that isn't ideal for high-volume printing, however. The main drawer has a capacity of 250 sheets, and the multipurpose tray has a capacity of up to 100 sheets, depending on the media. 350 sheets total is probably not enough for a high-volume office, but a 500 sheet additional tray can be added at any time as an upgrade. The output tray has a capacity of 250 sheets. The printer ships with only 4 MB of RAM, which also might be somewhat limiting for a large office, but the memory can be expanded to a maximum of 66 MB if needed.

Print quality is excellent, thanks to its 600 dpi printing engine. Text is sharp and defined, though it could be a little darker. Graphics quality is a little below average for a laser printer, but still passable.

Overall, the HP LaserJet 5 is a solid printer that can support a large number of office users without breaking a sweat. Its reliability and sturdy construction are impressive, but most buyers will likely want faster speeds for the money.